Right now your contact center is faced with a problem that is costing your company a great deal of business: Agents aren’t picking up the phones fast enough. As a result, customers are hanging up and may be fleeing to competitors.
This problem is called call abandonment, and it’s one of the most common issues that contact center managers struggle to overcome. Generally speaking, this problem is exacerbated when call wait times hover around 30 seconds or longer.
Of course, in a perfect world your business would be able to hire more agents—but this is a dream for most organizations.
Many contact centers are struggling financially, especially those that rely on expensive, on-premises networks. And the truth is that it’s neither quick nor easy to onboard new agents—especially in large numbers. Scaling may come with hefty fees associated with purchasing more software licenses. Agents must also be trained before fielding calls, further driving up time and cost.
So, how can you actually fix the problem?
As we discussed in a recent white paper, some of the most effective ways for dealing with call abandonment include announcing estimated wait times for customers to eliminate anxiety, offering virtual queue services and implementing a blended, multichannel customer service strategy. You can also offer self-service online, and improve communication between team members to speed up interactions and serve more customers.
Don’t despair, in other words. It is possible to reduce call abandonment rates in your contact center. Check out our white paper and see for yourself.
